Why Spain number one Unai Simon refused to speak to journalist

Athletic Club and Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon was put up by the Spanish national team for the press, but made headlines for the one question that he decided not to answer. A previous run-in with Onda Cero’s Fernando Burgos at Euro 2024 was behind his decision not to do so.

Simon was answering questions from the assembled media at Spain’s Las Rozas base when Burgos asked whether it was necessary to have a sporting director for the national team. However Simon rebuffed him, as quoted by Relevo.

“Fernando, with all due respect, to our colleagues and everyone else, after what happened between us at the Euros, I’m not going to answer any of your questions, okay?”

Their history goes back to the Euros in Germany, when La Roja had narrowly come out on top of die Mannschaft, beating them 2-1 in the quarter-finals. Burgos put the following question to him.

“We’ve never beaten a host country before. On top of that, at their home, and with football that I don’t know if you expected it, which was terribly dirty.” Mistaking the comment as being about Spain’s performance, Simon questioned that statement.

“Did I say anything about you or about you all? Do you think I am capable of saying that Spain played dirty football? I think that because they’ve had nine yellow cards and injured Pedri,” responds Burgos.

“I’m surprised that you’d say that even about them. I don’t think they played dirty. We didn’t stop the game when Kroos was having problems. Later on, we did put the ball out because Nacho was in trouble, and Kroos gave it back to us. That’s an example of what Toni is and what Germany is. I think it’s very harsh words to say it was a dirty game.”

Simon, clearly miffed with the question, then moved on in the mix zone. Burgos however, did not. Later on in the broadcast, Burgos would go on to insult Simon for his response, calling the Spain number one ‘pathetic’.

“He’s a martian and he can’t come here with that attitude. It makes me angry to ask questions to these kinds of people. It’s pathetic and regrettable. He shouldn’t come here anymore. I don’t even want to see him,” Burgos commented.

The other comment of note from Simon’s press conference ahead of their Nations League clash with the Netherlands was about former Athletic teammate Inigo Martinez. After being diagnosed with a knee injury, the Barcelona defender pulled out of the Spain squad, yet there has been talk that he did not want to attend the games.

“I haven’t spoken to him, but I think it’s wrong to doubt a player like Inigo Martinez,” Simon explained. “If the club has issued a medical report saying he’s injured, it’s disrespectful to ignore the player and it puts in question Barcelona’s medical team. He really wanted to come here, but he couldn’t because of his injury. It’s a lack of respect that a teammate doesn’t deserve.”

As it was, Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen was called up from the under-21 squad to take Martinez’s place. The 33-year-old has been in fine form for the Blaugrana, and played a key role in their 4-2 victory over Atletico Madrid on Sunday night. Spain face the Netherlands in Rotterdam on Thursday night at 20:45 CEST in the first leg of their quarter-final.